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National Numismatic Collection

The National Numismatic Collection (NNC) of the Smithsonian Institution is one of the largest numismatic collections in the world and the largest in North America. With over 1.6 millioin objects, the NNC contains many great rarities in coins and currency, from the earliest coins created 2,700 years ago up to the latest innovations in electronic monetary exchange, as well as fascinating objects such as beads, wampum, dentalia, and other commodities once used as money.

The collection emphasizes the development of money and medals in the United States. The core of the U.S. collection, consisting of more than 18,000 items, including coins of great rarity, came to the Smithsonian in 1923 from the United States Mint. Exceptional rarities include the Brasher half doubloon, the 1849 double eagle (first of the gold 20 dollar pieces), and two 1877 fifty dollar patterns. Other rarities are include the 1913 Liberty head nickel as well as all three types of the 1804 dollar, and two of three known examples of the world's most valuable coin, the 1933 double eagle, the third of which recently sold for 7.6 million dollars. Learn more about the collection.

Below you will find a selection of over 350 objects from the collection. We are working to expand and improve online access to additional objects in the near future, so stay tuned.

United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Liberty with feather headdress, facing left. Reverse: Denomination and date within cereal wreath. The United States Mint experimented with a number of innovative surface treatments for its proof coinage between 1905 and 1915. These included matte and sandblast surfaces that reflected light back in unusual ways. They also included the application of a "Roman" finish, making the surfaces of gold coins look more golden, and more mellow. These experimental surfaces were applied to test new ideas regarding what would work and what would not. The surfaces were also placed there so that the coins that bore them became "special," and could be sold to collectors at a premium.

United States Mint, San Francisco. Obverse: Head of Liberty facing left, with feathered headdress; stars above, date below. Reverse: Standing eagle facing left; mottoes in front and behind. The 1916 eagle from San Francisco is a fairly scarce coin in any condition, but one in this condition is an extremely rare coin.

United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Bust of George Washington facing left; LIBERTY to left, date to right. Reverse: Large 5 between two laurel sprigs. Pattern five-cent pieces following these basic designs were created in small quantities in 1909 and 1910. Only a few coins are known from each of those two years. The designer, presumably, was Charles E. Barber. [reference no. Judd 1788]

United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Head of Native American Indian facing right, date on shoulder. Reverse: Buffalo standing on mound, facing left. This pattern displays the finished designs on the new, circulating "buffalo" nickel. Seventeen of these patterns were struck in January 1913. The Smithsonian Institution has two. Six were melted, and the other nine are in private hands. [reference no. Judd 1789]

United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Liberty head in winged cap, date below. Reverse: Fasces with laurel branch entwined. This pattern was designed by Adolph A. Weinman. The obverse of this pattern shows the head with a different placement than the version finally selected for coinage. The reverse, however, is quite similar to the design that went into circulation. This example is one of six known for this pattern. [reference no. Judd 1794]

United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Liberty stepping through a gateway. Reverse: Eagle flying right, laurel branches to left and right. The branches were replaced by stars on the circulating version. This pattern rates a Rarity-8 which means that only two or three are known. [reference no. Judd 1796a]

United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Liberty walking left, towards the dawn; date below. Reverse: Eagle perched, facing left. With slight differences in lettering and date from other patterns, it is very similar to the adopted designs for the new half dollar. This is a Rarity-8 pattern which means that only two or three are known. [reference no. Judd 1994]

United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Liberty walking left, towards the dawn; date below. Reverse: Eagle perched, facing left. These motifs on this pattern foreshadow most of the design elements that Adolph A. Weinman employed on the final dies for production. However, there are differences in the placement and size of lettering on both sides of this prototype from the coin that was adopted. Perhaps ten specimens exist including this one. [reference no. Judd 1797]

United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Liberty walking left, towards the dawn; date below. Reverse: Eagle perched, facing left. This may have actually been the first of designer Adolph A. Weinman's patterns for the half dollar. This is one of a half dozen known. [reference no. Judd1798]

United States Mint, San Francisco. Obverse: Bust of Liberty as goddess Athena facing left. She wears a crested helmet and carries a shield with the date 1915 in Roman numerals. Reverse: Owl seated on pine bough (the owl was the bird associated with Athena). On the octagonal version, there are eight small dolphins at the eight points of the octagon.

Designed by Robert Aitken, the round and octagonal coins were part of an elaborate attempt to raise money for the Panama-Pacific Exposition. That celebration was held in San Francisco between February and December, 1915. In turn, the exposition was intended to commemorate the completion and opening of the Panama Canal in the previous year. Dolphins were friendly companions of the vessels making the trip from one ocean to another, via the new Isthmian waterway.